ANNIE CAN PRODUCE FIREWORKS IN FONEZ GALWAY OAKS DECIDER

Peter Farrell

There may be four finals down for decision at Galway Greyhound Stadium tonight, however, the undoubted feature is the final of the €10,000 to the winner Fonez Galway Oaks.

Kindly sponsored by Gabriel Carey of Fonez, the 2024 renewal of this event has proved hugely competitive and this is evident from the wide-open decider on offer. Connections will all be hopeful of a big effort from their respective charges and the trap draw has certainly added further ingredients to this valuable contest.

A LOOK AT THE FINALISTS

T1 - ANNIE ON FAYA (Owner: Cian Mulrooney - Trainer: Murt Leahy) - The first representative for Murt Leahy, who is looking to retain his crown after landing the 2022 Oaks title with the remarkable Raha Mofo. A winner of her opening round assignment in a brisk 28.72 .10s, that clock is unmatched by her rivals up to now and despite having no answer to Drombeg Pearl last time out, she remains the likely favourite after receiving a plumb draw in red. A top-class lady, who has a career best of 28.21 around Limerick, ‘Annie’ is unlikely to break as poorly as her 3.46 last time out and any improvement could see her dictate on the rails. Should this be the case, she will prove a tough nut to crack.

T2 - OMEY MIST (Owner: Don’t Be Late Syndicate - Trainer: Gerry Holian) - A lovely type that opened her career in swashbuckling fashion when posting 28.99 around Galway on debut. Indeed, the June whelp has since posted a phenomenal 28.40 around the Connacht circuit and although she comes into the decider as an outsider, she clearly has the ability to make a bold bid if on-song. Well housed in blue, ‘Mist’ will need to sharpen up at traprise in order to enter calculations but she is a lively outsider and she hails from a kennel that has already landed numerous big finals at Galway this calendar year.

T3 - DROMBEG PEARL (Owner: Evan McAuliffe) - A track specialist, this lady comes into the decider boasting an unbeaten record in the Oaks and has serious claims of making it a hat-trick of wins. The daughter of Grangeview Ten has shown sizzling early speed in her last two starts and she will likely dispute in the opening yards with Westway Rossa on her immediate outside. That particular buckle could prove decisive, however, ‘Pearl’ crucially has the inside line and that could well make the difference. Likely to attract plenty of local support, followers will know their fate early on with a ping start essential to the chances of Drombeg Pearl being crowned the Queen of Galway.

T4 - WESTWAY ROSSA (Owner: Henry Scimia - Trainer: Damian McGinn)- The most inexperienced tracker in the line-up with just eight career starts, however, she has already tasted success on four occasions, most recently when going quickest in the semis last weekend. The daughter of Good News arrived to Galway off the back of some serious Dundalk form and although facing a very tricky draw in four, she has the scope to overcome this particular obstacle. Anything close to her 3.29 sectional should suffice on this occasion and don’t be surprised if she makes a bold bid for connections.

T5 - JULIES GEM (Owner: The Gem Spring Syndicate - Trainer: Murt Leahy) - The second of the Murt Leahy runners but certainly not seen as the second string. A winner of the Kilkenny Derby where she clocked an incredible 28.47 in the process, the daughter of King Sheeran has had a mixed bag at Galway after winning the opening round before being forced to settle for second in last week’s semi finals. The draw is far from ideal for ‘Julie’, however, she has massive pace from the halfway mark and as a result, is likely to be on scene come the business end of proceedings. A big player.

T6 - AIRFIELD KATIE (Owner: Fergus Walsh - Trainer: Michael O’Meara) - Like Omey Mist, has failed to raise a flag thus far in the competition, however, has shown glimpses of what she is about with some fine performances in defeat. The daughter of Ballymac Best arrived at Galway fresh from some super displays around Limerick and will benefit from being the sole wide seed in six, with all likelihood that she will receive plenty of racing room early on. That said, if ‘Katie’ can produce one of her better starts, she could be the dark horse in this decider should she get loose on the bunny.

Verdict - In what is a very competitive contest, the vote goes to ANNIE ON FAYA. The trap draw has been kind to this lady and she has already shown her capabilities in this competition. A fast start will of course be required, however, she is more than capable of stringing this field out and securing a second Galway Oaks win in three years for Murt Leahy.

*****

GEM CAN SHINE BRIGHTEST IN STEPHEN MOLLOY MEMORIAL

Kindly sponsored by the Molloy Family, the final of the €1,750 to the winner Stephen Molloy Memorial A2 525 serves as the main supporting act and Rinnwood Gem gets the vote to land the spoils for Des Flaherty.

The daughter of Pestana posted a rapid 28.78 in the opening round of this stake and that time has yet to be rivalled by her challengers up to this point. Indeed, despite being handed a defeat behind Drombeg Apollo last weekend, Rinnwood Gem was very eye-catching in defeat as she recovered from a bumpy passage to only go down by two and a half lengths. Drawn in five, this won’t pose too many issues for ‘Gem’ and she is expected to make a bold bid for this valuable prize. Of her rivals, Drombeg Apollo looks the main danger. Unbeaten for Evan McAuliffe thus far, the son of Grangeview Ten will bid to make-all and he has the draw to do so in trap three. He is mighty consistent on the sectional clock and he could set a searing gallop if reproducing last week's start. Springwell Eddy also has claims for Gerard O’Dowd in six. Known for his strong running skills, the son of Ballymac Bolger isn’t likely to play a part early on, however, if any troubles emerges at the front of proceedings, he is likely to be there to pick up the pieces. Of the remainder, Glynnscross Ted is all about early speed and could prove a thorn in the side of Drombeg Apollo early on, while Glamorous Woohoo and Lissatouk Dave both have a bit to find if they are to upset the apple cart.

CRAFTY KENNELS DECIDER

The first final on the card is the Crafty Kennels Unraced 525, which carries a first prize of €1,200.

Annadown Jacob was a brilliant debut winner seven days ago and he will undoubtedly head to traps as the one to beat for Gary Dillon. The March puppy won comfortably on that occasion by seven lengths in 29.20 .10s and a reproduction of that may well suffice this time around. Of his rivals, High Performer was closest on the clock to the jolly and it must be noted that what he lost, equates to the difference in the opening sectional clocks. That said, this suggests that he was travelling just as well as Annadown Jacob and should he sharpen up at traprise, Francis Murray’s tracker could stake a claim.

GALWAY REGULARS

The last of the finals down for decision is the Galway Regulars A5 525 and this is a wide-open contest.

Boasting a winner’s purse of 750, Claudegreengrass and Hit The Diss landed their semi final assignments in very comfortable fashion and both are well-housed in the final in traps one and two respectively. However, a value bet could be Hanover Mellie in trap six. Owned by Leeanne Fleming, the March puppy is still searching for a maiden victory but she ran a brilliant race in defeat in the semis and tonight could be the night where she picks up that elusive victory.